Sampson, 48, became an avid trail runner when he moved to Utah in 2012 to work as a photojournalist for Salt Lake City's CBS affiliate. He was in the best shape of his life when winter hit. He started climbing the stairs in his building to maintain his fitness level.

"I was sore," he said. "I was stunned. It was much harder than the steepest trails."

Fast-forward to the fall of 2016. Sampson was in North Texas for 11 weeks, working as a crewman, filming scenes for the reality television show COPS. He spent his downtime researching Dallas' tallest buildings. His entrepreneurial instincts took over. He left COPS and has become a tower climb race producer.

He launched the inaugural Dallas Vert Mile at Reunion Tower last March. The 2018 event is Saturday. He plans to announce additional venues later this year.

Sampson's goal is to promote the sport of tower climbing and its fitness benefits by creating tower climb events. In the past, most tower climbs have been charity-driven fundraisers. He sought input from many of the nation's top tower climbers including Euless' Scott Stanley, who serves on the board of directors of the Tower Running USA.

Reunion Tower has 50 stories and is 560 feet tall. The event offers four options. Participants can climb up once to the 360-degree observation tower. That's the Vert Sprint Race/Fun Walk. It's 807 steps and 470 vertical feet.

There's the Vert Quarter Mile (three times up/150 stories), Vert Half Mile (six laps/300 stories) and the full Vert Mile Challenge (12 times/600 stories). Elevators take climbers down in 68 seconds. There are time limits for each distance, but only the time spent climbing up counts.

The elites, who typically climb two steps at a time, will race the Vertical mile starting at 6 a.m. followed after 9 a.m. by the other distances. Most of the field will walk or jog one step at a time.

The climb is open to anyone, regardless of fitness level, ages 13 and over. Kids 8 and up can participate with a parent or guardian.

Stanley, also an avid cyclist, placed fifth in the 2017 sprint race and sixth in the Vert Mile. He's recovering from injuries and hoping to finish the Vert Mile competitively. The men's field includes four of the nation's top five men. Four of the nation's top five women also will be here. Dallas is one of six 200-point Tower Running USA races this year.

The Tower Running World Association included the Dallas Vert as one of 12 World Tour events along with the Empire State Building Run-Up in New York and the Eiffel Tower Vertical in Paris.

Culture Trip, a web-based publication, included the Dallas Vert Mile in a listing of the "16 Most Epic Races in the World" along with the Running of the Bulls in Spain and the Great Wall Marathon in China.

3,000-day run streak: On Dec. 21, Dallas podiatrist Alan Sherman extended his running streak of four miles or more to 3,000 consecutive days. He has averaged more than 40 miles a week throughout his streak.